HMCS SASKATCHEWAN 262

Mackenzie Class Destroyer

Built by Victoria Machinery Depot and completed by Yarrows at Esquimalt, SASKATCHEWAN was commissioned on 16 Feb 1963, following which, from Jun to Oct 1963, she was based at Halifax. In Oct 1963, BONAVENTURE, ALGONQUIN, CAYUGA, MICMAC and SASKATCHEWAN took part in a NATO exercise in which all participating ships were battered by a severe North Atlantic storm (click here to see the newspaper article). She then returned to the west coast. In 1968 she grounded while transiting Active Pass in fog.  In Feb 1970, she returned to Halifax with the erstwhile crew of KOOTENAY, relieving NIPIGON as flagship of SNFL that summer, but returned to the Pacific in 1973. She was given her DELEX refit at Burrard Yarrow Inc., Esquimalt, between 27 May 1985 and 17 Jun 1986. HMCS SASKATCHEWAN took part in SOPLOY '86 from 25 Aug 1986 till 25 Nov 1986.  During that deployment SASKATCHEWAN was part of a Canadian squadron that visited Australia for the RAN's 75th Anniversary celebrations. Port visits during SOPLOY '86  were: Pearl Harbor 3-6 Sep / 14-17 Nov; Pago Pago, American Samoa 14 Sep & 05 Nov; Suva, Fiji 18-20 Sep; Brisbane, Australia 25-27 Nov; Sydney, Australia 29 Sep-07 Oct; Melbourne, Australia 8-13 Oct; Wellington, New Zealand 22-23 Oct; Gisborne, New Zealand 24-27 Oct and Auckland, New Zealand 28-31 Oct 1986. During the South American Cruise in 1989, SASKATCHEWAN Crossed the Equator on 16 May 1989 and visited the following ports: Acapulco 05 - 09 May, Guayaquil 17 - 22 May, Caldera 27 May - 01 Jun, Puerto Vallarta 07 - 11 Jun, San Diego 16-19 Jun and San Francisco 23-26 Jun 1989. In her final years, SASKATCHEWAN was a member of Training Group Pacific, instructing officer cadets in ship handling, navigation and marine engineering. On 17 Mar 1994, barely six weeks before she was paid off, SASKATCHEWAN lost two crew members, SLt N.P. Schiele and AB S.J. Schreurs, in a diving accident in Shoal Channel, Howe Sound. SASKATCHEWAN was paid off on 01 Apr 1994, purchased by the Artificial Reef Society of B.C. and sunk on 14 Jun 1997, near Nanaimo.

Photos and Documents          Ship's company photos          The Ship's Bell

RCN Memories:     Port 10     The Great Rum Robbery

Commanding Officers

Captain for the day

Captain for the day is a tradition in the RCN where during the ship's Christmas celebrations, the Commanding Officer changes places with the youngest member of the ship's company.

Daniel Watson, OSRP - 1976

     In memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice    

     Lest We Forget     

     In memory of those who have crossed the bar    

They shall not be forgotten

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

R

S

T

W

Y

Former Crew Members

Photos and Documents

(SKN001 - SKN004) The launching of HMCS SASKATCHEWAN 262 on 01 Feb 1961  //  Courtesy of Greg Volkman

(SKN005) Six days after their new ship was commissioned, officers and men of HMCS SASKATCHEWAN were inspected by Rear-Admiral W. M. Landymore, Flag Officer Pacific Coast  //  Source:: CROWSNEST Magazine, Vol 15, No. 3 March 1963

(SKN006 - SKN010) HMCS SASKATCHEWAN 262  //  DND-RCN photos

(SKN011) The White Ensign is lowered and the Canadian flag raised on HMCS SASKATCHEWAN - 1965  //  Source: The Library and Archives of Canada

(SKN012) Certificate for Maple Spring 1967 for AB A. Falk, HMCS SASKATCHEWAN  //  Courtesy of Alan Falk

(SKN013) "Black Thursday"  //  Routine Orders - HMCS SASKATCHEWAN 262 - 01 Feb 1968  //  Courtesy of Fred Schatz

(SKN014) CPO Lower, Cox'n, HMCS SASKATCHEWAN  //  Courtesy of Richard Whaley

(SKN015) Myself (Nobby Clark) - an 18 year old O.D. Stoker (50 years ago) - in HMCS SASKATCHEWAN, about half way through our far east cruise1968 standing beside my bunk in 3 Mess, long before conversion. The Stokers mess, which was 12 mess in those days, was chock a block so a few of us were stuck in 3 mess.  This photo was shot minutes before boarding a bus to go up Victoria Mountain in Hong Kong to Sai Wan Military Cemetery where our military dead are interred.  These soldiers were butchered by the Japanese at Christmas, 1941 - many of our soldiers were murdered in their hospital beds. Our purpose at the cemetery was to mount an honour guard (of which I was a part of) - for a memorial service for our fallen warriors. This was a very moving experience for a kid of my age. None of us must ever forget the soldiers who sacrificed their lives for Canada throughout ALL of our wars! I know that I won't forget!  //  Courtesy of Nobby Clark

(SKN016) HMCS SASKATCHEWAN 262 taken from HMCS ANNAPOLIS 265  //  Courtesy of Art Fallas

(SKN017) Raymond S. Good and shipmate  //  Courtesy of Lorraine Casey

(SKN018) HMCS SASKATCHEWAN in the North Sea.  Photo taken by an aircraft from the carrier HNLMS Karl Dorman in 1963  //  Courtesy of Dave Stephens

(SKN019) HMCS SASKATCHEWAN's C.O. given server reprimand after ship grounded in Active Pass - 1968

(SKN020) HMCS SASKATCHEWAN 262 fueling from HMCS PRESERVER 510 in the Caribbean during Maple Spring '72  //  Note that on the structure just aft of the whaler is a banner depicting ESSO’s Tony the Tiger stating “Put a Tiger In My Tank.” This was an ESSO advertising promotion at the time. Someone absconded with the banner and Saskatchewan put it up every time they did a RAS. They also flew an ESSO flag!  //  Courtesy of Gerry Curry

(SKN021) Ceremonial issue of the last tot on board HMCS SASKATCHEWAN 262 - 31 Mar 1972  //  PO2 Robert (Bob) Christie, CPO1 John Charles (Fred) Pegley, SLt May and PO1 Doug Walters  //  Courtesy of Patti Christie

(SKN022) Ceremonial issue of the last tot on board HMCS SASKATCHEWAN 262 - 31 Mar 1972  //  PO2 Robert (Bob) Christie, Tom (Ace) Atkins, ABBN, Executive Officer LCdr E. J. Mike Young, and PO1 Doug Walters  //  Courtesy of Brian Lapierre

(SKN023 - SKN024) HMCS SASKATCHEWAN firing a mortor, May 82 West Coast VI W601.  In the first photo you can see the mortar bomb just above the port yardarm  //  Courtesy of Dennis McMillan

(SKN025) Radar Plotters on HMCS SASKATCHEWAN 1983  //  Courtesy of Bernie Quigley

(SKN026) HMCS SASKATCHEWAN 262 in San Diego, California during a training cruise - circa 1989  //  Courtesy of Hugh Muir

(SKN027) HMCS SASKATCHEWAN 262 - Oct 1991 with Special Sea Duty Men closed up ready to come alongside Sydney, Australia  //  Courtesy of Eric Kahler, Director, Naval Museum of Alberta